A deflated Jack De Belin admits the next two games at WIN Stadium present a fork in the road for the Dragons.
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The path to finals or oblivion this season could well be determined by Thursday night's showdown with South Sydney and then the clash with Canberra, after the second State of Origin in Perth.
The chance to reset at home in Wollongong comes after Friday night's crushing 31-12 loss to North Queensland in Townsville, to keep them outside the NRL top eight.
"It's been pretty deflating," De Belin said.
"We'd been building nicely and had two wins (against the Warriors and Bulldogs) and to go up there and put that performance, it's pretty disappointing.
"That's the best thing about the NRL, it's a week-to-week competition and even though we didn't play that well, we've got the opportunity to turn it around and right the wrongs of Townsville.
"We're one game off .500 (50 per cent win rate) and there's a couple of games that could have gone either way, so we've just to keep adding wins and that starts Thursday."
As NSW attempt to fightback from a one-nil series deficit against Queensland in Perth on June 26, De Belin had dreamed of a Blues return since his 'no-fault' stand down suspension since the high-profile court case.
But he admits he has work to do to find top form again.
"My body is holding up really well," he said.
"I'd be happier if we were winning a bit more and my form was a bit better, but its a long season and my form will be building nicely coming into the back end."
The Dragons are 10th on the NRL with a 6-7 record, while the Rabbitohs are seventh at 7-6.
The Raiders are 11th at 6-8 with a bye to come during Origin game three week.
If there was some encouragement out of the Cowboys loss, it was from the emergence of winger Jonathan Reuben, the oldest player to debut in the NRL at the age of 29.
Reuben, who had the extraordinary strike rate of 107 tries in 106 games in Queensland Cup, took a key intercept to lift the Dragons at a crucial stage of the first half, where he raced clear, but was reeled in on halfway.
"I'm 29 and 29 is the new 21," he said.
"I guess it just kept my dream alive, ever since I was five years old I wanted to play NRL.
"My family backed me and supposed me and when I played, I played for them.
"I'm not going to lie, my legs were jelly and I was very nervous, but I think after I got that intercept, it gave me confidence."
CRUNCH TIME
Round 15
Thursday: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v SOUTH SYDNEY at WIN Stadium (7.50pm)
State of Origin (game two)
Sunday, June 26: NSW v QUEENSLAND at Optus Stadium, Perth
Round 16
Sunday, July 3: ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v CANBERRA at WIN Stadium (4.05pm)
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Tim Barrow
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
When it comes to sport - at professional and community level - in the Illawarra, I'm here to provide insight, context and opinion, as well as the latest news you won't find anywhere else.
